Steampunk on TurtleTails.com ! This is going to be a long story
to tell; I have a lot of explaining to do. It will help you understand
this story if you have read all the previous tours on the Raising
Baby Turtles page. If you have you will have a good understanding of
the way I think and what I think about housing pet turtles.

Some time ago I
purchased two brass letterpress trays on eBay for a use having nothing
to do with turtles. One is all brass construction and one includes wood
in its construction. Both are about 6" by 24". They could easily be 100
years old. They were very tarnished and grimy when I got them. I cleaned
and polished them and coated them with clear gloss lacquer. Take look great.

Recently I was looking
for another 24" long letterpress tray to set plants on next to a window
above a vivarium. A lot of four 4" by 24" brass letterpress trays was available
on eBay so I decided the additional three trays would give me something
new to experiment with in turtle aquariums. I purchased the four trays
at a reasonable price. When they arrived I was immediately pleased that
I purchased them. There were two each of two different construction techniques.

I set them aside
for time to think about how I would use them and then decided I would use
one tray as a plant stand inside a turtle's aquarium. The design is very
simple. I used four pieces of half inch copper tubing three inches long
as legs attached at the corners using super glue. Originally I planned
to use the tray right side up but ended up turning it upside down to accommodate
wider pots. The stand sets just under the water surface. On it I placed
small potted plants using heavy ceramic and glass containers purchased
in thrift stores for the pots.

Before I even placed
it in the aquarium I realized that I had just built a very elementary steampunk
stand and that I could not stop there. I also realized that after I build
a more elaborate steampunk design I would have several new techniques to
share with you. Even though I was pleased with my new plant stand, I could
not stop thinking about a grander steampunk design.

Some
background: This is still about
housing turtles and it will help you stay focused if we repeat our goals
for housing turtles from the Raising
Baby Turtles page: 1) provide healthy and safe environments,
2) provide interesting and enjoyable environments, 3) minimize daily maintenance,
and 4) have fun doing it. Safety must always be a concern because turtles
will climb up on everything they can in their environments and plunge off
them to get down. Therefore, I would not be using sharp items like brass
gears common in many steampunk designs.

In Tour
13 Using Brass and Copper we presented our reasons for using
brass and copper. Copper prevents the growth of algae in aquariums and
is anti microbial, does not foul or discolor the water, and copper and
brass are easy to work with. When we remove copper and brass items from
aquariums for cleaning, there is no algae or slim on them. We simply dry
the pieces with a cloth towel. The rich dark natural patina developed both
below and above the water is earthy and natural.

In Tour
22 How Much Space for Pet Turtles we discuss the creation of environments
for turtles as a hobby. All the space inside an aquarium is our hobby space.
To a turtle plastic is just plastic. It may look like a rock or log but
it is just something to climb on. Many domesticated turtles may never have
even seen a real rock or log so why would they recognize plastic shapes
as what they mimic. Therefore, we can make our aquarium furniture look
like anything we like as long as it is serviceable for the turtles. At
least that is the way we see it. So to create places to set potted plants
inside a turtle's aquarium, I built a brass plant stand.

More
background: Obviously turtles
and TurtleTails.com are not my only hobbies. I am interested in
railroads and model railroading, collecting railroad artifacts, collecting
brass items like the letterpress trays, woodworking, collecting and using
vintage furniture and furnishings, gardening, and landscaping to mention
a few.

I like copper, brass,
and bronze items and working with brass and copper. I like them with their
natural tarnishes, various patinas, and polishes. Most polished ornamental
brass is lacquered to keep it from tarnishing. I also like the high quality
high gloss brass plating finishes common on items manufactured today.

The term "steampunk"
is often used in ads for brass and industrial items to attract attention
because the items may have no other useful purpose. Steampunk is a reference
to a fantasy style set in the 1800s during the golden age of steam power
featuring lots of brass and futuristic designs like you would find in a
Jules Verne novel. It is a mix of brass and other metals, dark woods, and
Victorian patterns. Steampunk designs are more ornamental than functional
or practical and usually overdone. While most steampunk designs do not
appeal to me, the use of brass, dark woods, and industrial items do.

I am also cheap.
I am sure I spend less on my turtles than most people. I enjoy sharing
ideas on TurtleTails.com for making unique furnishings for turtles
that cost very little. I find it much more interesting to visit a thrift
store than to visit a pet store. Many of the creations you see on TurtleTails.com
have been made for the purpose of illustrating techniques for you. I pride
myself as being an out-of-the-box thinker and I am sure it shows. And I
must tell you I had a lot of fun making this steampunk terraqueous etagere
for me and W. W is a spotted turtle and my buddy. And yes I enjoy shopping
on eBay for good deals and unusual items.

The
name: As soon as I built
the first stand and knew I would have to build a more elaborate steampunk
design, I also knew I would do a tour on it. I began searching for a name
for the tour that would be as unusual as the design. I came up with Steampunk
Terraqueous Etagere which describes perfectly what I wanted to build. The
use of steampunk is obvious and I really wanted it to reflect steampunk
style.

The shelf sets just
under the water so the plants are very close to the water. For most plants
this requires pots with no drainage holes in them. The shelf in the water
would also be suitable for small bog plants which I plan on trying. Terraqueous
means consisting of both land and water. Land is represented by the plants
and the stand for the turtles to climb up on.

An etagere is an
ornamental stand with shelves. Etageres are often included in steampunk
decorating and are frequently made of iron pipe or copper tubing. So the
title of this tour describes perfectly what I planned on making.

New
techniques used: We have used copper
tubing before flattened and pounded on so that it no longer looks like
copper tubing, but this time we are using copper tubing as copper tubing.
For the construction of the etagere, 1/2 inch copper tubing is the structural
support for the shelf and is so easy to work with. Just cut various pieces
of tubing to the desired lengths and join them with copper tubing fittings
and super glue. If you have large aquariums and large turtles, you can
easily span the space with structures strong enough to support the turtles
and anything else that needs supported.

I use super glue
not solder so it is easy enough for everyone to use this technique. Super
glue is very fast setting which does not allow much time for adjustments.
If a joint sets too fast and is not aligned properly, the joint can be
heated with a torch and broken just like a soldered joint and with less
heat. Then the glue can be removed from the parts by scraping or with sand
paper and the parts reused. Super glue can also be applied to the joint
after the parts are together and allowed to draw into the joint by capillary
action like soldered joints.

The use of copper
tubing inside an aquarium immediately raises the possibility of piping
water around to create fountains and trickles of water much easier than
with plastic tubing since the copper tubing is rigid. Whether you want
to create a steampunk design or not, copper and brass plumbing fittings
can be combined to direct and control the flow of water. It also requires
testing and tinkering with the design which is easy to do with brass and
copper.

For the shelf material
there are many materials that will work. For long shelves lengths of copper
tubing can be laid side by side and lashed together with copper wire or
glued together. Ceramic and stone floor tiles can be cut for shelving and
come in many attractive colors. Thick glass especially colored glass will
work but will need to be cut by a glass dealer who can also grind the edges
smooth. Thick acrylic will work and can be fabricated to add stiffness
if required. If you purchase items like the letterpress trays, make sure
they are brass or copper and not steel or aluminum.

The
Steampunk Terraqueous Etagere: I began by gathering
all the brass pieces, copper tubing and fittings, and brass pipe fittings
I had. All the half inch copper tubing and valves I used had been removed
from my home's plumbing and looked pretty poor. The copper tubing is easily
cleaned with fine sandpaper but the valves took more work to look presentable.
Various lengths of tubing were cut from scrap pieces. A quantity of elbows
and tees were purchased. It was like I covered my work bench with a new
toy, a sort of tinker toy set or erector set.

Salvaging copper
and brass is like discovering treasure. No matter how crusty and covered
with solder they are, they shine when cleaned and have a vintage look.
Since we are working inside an aquarium, valves and connections do not
have to be water tight like household plumbing. What we need are good mechanical
joints.

I used tape to make
an outline of the aquarium on the workbench and then began to see what
I could make out of the parts. I first tried to make a stand using a 4"
wide letterpress tray. After many configurations I switched to a 6" wide
letterpress tray. Then I progressed to using two 4" wide letterpress trays
in a stepped design. One tray would be just under the 4" deep water and
one just above the water. This progression in design took about two weeks.

During the time
I was playing with the design I was also on eBay bidding on components
like the pressure gauge, small oiler, and brass drawer pulls I used as
valve handles. I also looked for items at my local outlets and searched
my house for more.

The aquarium I would
be using was the limiting factor. It is a 30 gallon breeder tank 36" wide
by 18" deep by 12" high. The width and depth are good but the 12" height
is very constraining especially since I planned on using the existing strip
light which sets directly on top of the tank. I also had no plans to decorate
the tank or the light in steampunk style. So everything in the back of
the tank had to fit under the light and within the tank. In the front I
did extend above the top of the aquarium.

I did not take pictures
during construction because I was making changes constantly. Here is the
completed design on the workbench.

Not everything is
glued together. Elements that set vertically do not have to be glued which
will make removing the etagere easier when it comes time to clean the tank.
Most of the elements are recognizable. The bubbler is from a candle holder
that is shaped like a tulip and is simply turned upside down. Four valve
handles are draw pulls and one is a propeller. The round dish and the turtle
dish are not secured. The caps on the bottom of the legs are not glued
on either so that water can be drained out more easily when cleaning the
aquarium.

I finally found
a good use for the spheres that I mounted on the front posts. They were
one of those things I liked when I came across them and they were reasonably
priced. They are attached to the caps of valves through the valve stem
holes. This makes good mechanical joints. The discs under the spheres are
from candle holders. The spheres extend above the top of the aquarium.

The valve in the
back discharges water horizontally to create circulation. Several of the
valves are used to balance the flow of water or shut it off. Rubber stoppers
were also used to block water from flowing through several of the tubes.

The
reveal: I must say I was
excited when it was time to install my new creation. First I cleaned the
tank and cut a new black vinyl runner for the bottom of the tank. I had
additional plants potted and waiting. The installation was simple and uncomplicated.
The water flowed through the tubing as planned. I am pleased with my work.
Take a look.

For an additional
punch of color I added some marbles. They were originally purchased to
see if any of our turtles would play with them. You can read about turtles
playing in my opinion "Turtles
Can Play".

Three days later
W did what was fully expected. He climbed up and sat on the highest plant.
He is small and will not be too hard on most of the plants. This is his
winter environment and he is expected to use everything in his aquarium.
After all he is more important than any of the furnishings I put in his
aquarium. I will take it as his approval which means I have met our four
criteria for housing turtles. And I will enjoy growing plants in his aquarium
knowing he may climb on them.

While the brass
and copper are nice and shiny in these pictures, I will allow them to develop
patinas naturally. I am not sure how well lacquer will hold up in the wet
environment but I will find out since I am sure the round dish is lacquered.
Everything can always be shined again if necessary.

As always I hope
I have inspired you to think well beyond anything you may find in a pet
store and in ways you will probably not find anywhere else. If you do build
something we have inspired, we would love to see pictures of it and hear
your story even if it has snakes, lizards or amphibians climbing on it.

If you came here by way
of an internet search on steampunk, you may enjoy our other behind-the-scenes
tours. You just don't know what you may find here.